Nicholls Ranked Top 10 for Campus Safety

THIBODAUX — Nicholls State University has been ranked in the top 10 safest schools in Louisiana, according to a new report issued by StateUniversity.com.

For the second consecutive year, Nicholls ranked sixth for safety out of 44 Louisiana universities and community college.

“We are happy and satisfied with the ranking, especially the consistency,” said Craig Jaccuzzo, director of University Police. “Our top priority is providing a safe campus for our students, staff and community members.”

The rankings, compiled from crime reports submitted by university law enforcement agencies, were announced earlier this month. According to StateUniversity.com, colleges and universities are ranked based on the severity and frequency of reported crimes.

Four out of the five Louisiana campuses outranking Nicholls were two-year schools. Nicholls outranked similarly sized four-year institutions.

Nicholls police officers are fully certified law-enforcement officers with full arrest and investigative powers. Currently, the department consists of nine full-time officers and is seeking to hire four more, Jaccuzzo said. Some officers have more than 15 years of law enforcement experience.

“This high ranking is the result of a community policing philosophy that includes the cooperation of the entire campus,” Jaccuzzo said.